Ryan’s selection would have implications for the electoral map. Wisconsin is a swing state, but it has voted Democratic for president six times in a row, and President Barack Obama has consistently led in the polling here.
A Ryan pick would seem to guarantee a major GOP effort in a state where Romney hasn’t been advertising this summer. Flipping Wisconsin from blue to red would be a major boon to Republicans in a close national election.
But Ryan’s ability to change the outcome in his home state is so uncertain (he is well known but has never run for statewide office) that it’s doubtful his Wisconsin roots were primary in Romney’s calculus.